Love & Lies

by Michelle Iannarelli

  Faith hugged Alex again and again. Finally, she began to calm down.

  “Faith, now that you’ve finally calmed down, can I ask you a question?”

  “Sure. But I am still over the moon excited.”

  “Was it Miles who was with you last night when I called to tell you?”

  Faith rolled her eyes and hesitated to answer, “Would it matter?”

  “No, except I know you’re still randomly hooking up with…let me exhale…my brother.”

  “Don’t worry. Ryan wants nothing from me but…plug your ears…sex.” Faith laughed. “Yes, Miles and I have hooked up but only a few times and I don’t think it will happen again. And before you ask, yes I spilled the beans about your engagement. I was so excited; I couldn’t hold it in.”

  “I figured as much when Miles was already in Miguel’s office this morning and he knew.”

  “So when’s the wedding?”

  “Slow down, we’re not even engaged for a whole day yet.”

  “It seems like forever.”

  “Faith, don’t you have to get to work?”

  “You mean Faith, I’ve heard enough, please go now?”

  “No, I mean you’re going to be late for work. It’s almost nine.”

  “Oh crap, yes. I’m going to be late. Damn. I love you. Call me later.”

  Alex hugged Faith before she shot out the door.

  Miguel waited until Dane and Eric arrived to talk with Miles.

  “I received confirmation this morning that it is Jakey who is being held. I’ve already contacted Simmons and he is making the necessary arrangements. We need to be ready to leave at a moment’s notice. Understood?”

  Dane looked over at Eric who had doubted his informer. “I knew it. My gut told me it was really Jakey.”

  “Dane, shut up. We couldn’t trust just your gut last week.”

  Dane got in Eric’s face. “You’re a dick.”

  “You’re an asshole.”

  The two of them threw punches at one another. Miguel and Miles each grabbed one of them and they tossed them each down on a different couch.

  “Listen to me. We need to have each other’s backs, not stab one another in them. Now make peace and move on.”

  “Miguel is right; we need to take care of each other or we’re going to end up coming home in a body bags.”

  “Don’t be so dramatic, Miles.” Eric got up and walked out. Miles walked out after him.

  “What the hell is wrong with him lately?”

  “I don’t know Migs but he better shake it off before he gets one of us killed.”

  “May I come in?”

  Alex looked up and Lacey was standing in her doorway holding a piece of paper. “Sure.”

  “I wanted to congratulate you on your engagement and your new position.” Lacey held up the paper and Alex could see the words PRESS RELEASE across the top of the page in red.

  “Position as fiancée?” Alex laughed.

  “Very funny. Well, I just wanted to tell you how happy I am for you and Miguel.”

  “Lacey, can I see that press release?”

  “Here.” Lacey handed Alex the piece of paper.

  Alex read the paper and gasped. “Vice President?”

  “Yes, that’s what it says.”

  “Oh no, Miguel and I never discussed this. Excuse me, Lacey.” Alex took the paper and headed down the hall.

  Miguel’s door was closed. Alex knocked and then walked in. Miguel didn’t even have a minute to speak before Alex was in front of his desk holding out the press release.

  “What is this? Vice President of YOUR company?”

  Miguel blinked a few times and then stood up and walked around the desk. “I thought you would be ecstatic; I want to share everything I have with you.”

  Miguel walked over to his chair and sat down.

  “Miguel, you can’t do things like this without talking to me first.”

  “Great, I already fucked up and we’re not even engaged for a day.”

  Alex went from shock to anger to feeling sorry for Miguel. He looked like a kid in a candy shop without any money. Alex walked over to Miguel and sat down on his lap.

  “You didn’t fuck up. You did something for me, to make me happy. I guess maybe if I wasn’t in shock I would have realized that I should have been grateful that you wanted to share your company with me. I’m sorry.”

  “No, I’m sorry. I didn’t think and yes, I should have discussed it with you first.”

  “Maybe we should kiss and make up?” Alex winked.

  Miguel smiled before kissing her.

  TWO DAYS HAD PASSED. Miguel finally got the call he was waiting for but now he had to tell Alex that he had to leave. He was more nervous about telling Alex than risking his life to save Jakey.

  “Miguel, is everything alright? I heard the phone ring.”

  “Yeah, it was business.”

  “At five in the morning?”

  “It’s not five in the morning everywhere.”

  “Since you’re off the phone why don’t you come back to bed and let me give that…”

  “Alex, I have to leave.”

  “Oh, ok. Maybe we can sneak in a nooner.” Alex smiled.

  Miguel walked over to Alex and kissed her forehead. “I have to leave town on business.”

  “Where are you going and how long will you be gone?”

  “I should be home in a few days.”

  “And you’re not going to tell me where you’re going, are you?”

  “I can’t.”

  “Will Miles and the rest of your friends be going too?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well then you better get going.” Alex walked out.

  Miguel punched the wall. He hated lying to Alex. After this, he was done. No more lies, no more missions, he was done.

  Alex got dressed and was leaving the bedroom when Miguel walked in.

  “I love you, Alex. I promise this is the last business trip.”

  Alex walked over and sat down on the bed. “I’m worried. I don’t like not knowing where you are or when you’re coming home.”

  “Me either. I don’t want to leave you.”

  “Then don’t.”

  “I have to. I made a commitment and I have to keep it.”

  “Are you running guns or drugs?”

  “Alex, NO! I swear. It’s nothing like that.”

  “I’m going to miss you. Promise me you will come home soon.”

  “I will come back as fast as possible.” Miguel kissed Alex.

  “I love you.”

  “I love you too, Alex.”

  Miguel got to the airport and Miles, Dane and Eric were already there. No doubt they arrived there first because they didn’t have Alex at home crying her eyes out to contend with.

  “Is the plane ready for takeoff?”

  “Five minutes, it is being fueled up.”

  “Thanks, Dane.”

  Miguel and the guys grabbed some coffee and then headed onto the plane.

  Alex decided that she needed to know what Miguel was up to and if he couldn’t tell her then she would have to find out for herself. She snuck on the plane while it was being fueled. Apparently, the grounds crew can be bribed. She hid in the bedroom closet and hoped to God that Miguel didn’t find her.

  Dane and Miguel sat talking strategy while Miles paced. Eric said he had a bit of a headache and went into the bedroom to lie down.

  “What’s up with Eric?”

  Miguel looked at Dane, who shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know but I’m not getting a good vibe.”

  “Yeah, something’s not right.”

  Miles walked over and looked at Eric’s computer screen. It had been black but then a message popped up in the bottom corner from someone who’s name was Milton.

  “Guys, come look at this.”

  Miguel and Dane walked over and looked at the screen and then at Miles.

  “Milton is dead.” Miles pointed to the screen.
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  Miguel leaned in and whispered. “Let’s see if Eric says anything when he checks his messages.”

  “I agree, now’s not the time to start anything.”

  “You’re right, Dane. Let’s just watch each other’s backs.”

  Eric sat down on the bed and pulled out his cell phone. He replied to some texts and then he dialed his phone and laid back on the bed.

  Alex could hear someone in the room but until she heard his voice she couldn’t tell who it was.

  “It’s me. We will be landing very soon and then this will be all over with once and for all. I’m so sick of taking orders and being dismissed because they think I’m some dumb computer geek. I will show them when I’m the last man standing.”

  Alex covered her mouth. She wasn’t sure what Eric was talking about but it sounded like he was referring to Miguel, Dane and Miles. She was terrified. She didn’t know what to do. What if she was wrong and accused Eric and exposed herself, maybe Miguel would never forgive her? But if her intuition was right, he was out to harm them and they needed to be warned.

  “How are you feeling? Is the headache any better?”

  Eric just looked at Miguel for a minute. He didn’t want to talk to him, but figured since he had come this far with his plan, that he shouldn’t do anything to ruin it now. “Much better, thanks.”

  “Good. We should be landing in a few minutes. I guess we should change and get ready to bring Jakey home.”

  All of them changed into black clothes from head to toe. Then unpacked their weapons and geared up.

  Alex was peeking through the bedroom door. She was horrified when she saw Miguel loading his gun. She started to think about his last business trip with Miles and how he said that they were in a car accident. Clearly he must have lied and if he lied about that then what else had he lied about? He had a lot of scars which she had dismissed since she knew that as a child he had been abused and was in a gang but maybe they weren’t from his youth. Now the man that she loved and thought she trusted was loading a second gun and slipped a knife into a shoulder holster. She felt like she was going to be sick, she staggered over to the bed and sat down.

  The plane landed and the four guys got off and headed to where they were led to believe that Jakey was being held. As usual Miguel and Miles headed off first. Dane was their back up and Eric would lie low somewhere with his computer nearby. The guys had ear pieces so that they could communicate with Eric.

  “Blade to Einstein, we’re about to go inside the warehouse. They have cameras around the perimeter. Can you hack in and disable them?”

  “Standby.” Eric disabled the outside cameras. He also hacked into the cameras inside the warehouse. He was ready and waiting to see Miguel and the guys get taken down. “Einstein to Blade, it’s been taken care of, you can proceed.”

  Eric sat back and watched as Miguel led Miles and Dane into his trap. What he didn’t know was that while he was so busy being amused by his scheme to kill his friends, Alex had followed him and was hiding.

  Miguel and Miles entered the warehouse first. Miles took down the first two guys by snapping their necks, hence why they called him the Sandman, because he put people to sleep…permanently.

  Miguel moved forward and when he was attacked he slit the guys throat and then continued on.

  Dane followed behind with his gun drawn. He was a perfect shot. “Sniper to Einstein, we’re in. Do you have eyes?”

  “Einstein to Sniper, standby.” Eric laughed. He wasn’t going to help them, he was just counting the minutes until Milton killed them all and set the warehouse ablaze. Then he would disappear with Milton and everyone would think he was dead too.

  Miguel and Miles took a turn down a hallway and were jumped. Miles and one of the guys were fighting until Miles broke his arm and then pushed him out a window. Miguel was in a knife fight. He took a gash to the arm but his opponent wasn’t so lucky. Miguel stabbed him in the neck.

  Alex watched in sheer horror. Miguel was a murderer. She was sick both mentally and physically. She thought she was going to pass out. She grabbed onto a tree limb and it crackled. Eric jumped up and turned around and caught a glimpse of Alex. He put his computer down and started towards her.

  Alex knew Eric saw her. It wouldn’t be long before he figured out that she knew what he was up to and that would give him more than a reason to kill her. She didn’t know what to do, so she ran towards the warehouse. She knew that no matter what, Miguel would protect her, even if he was angry as hell at her.

  Eric pulled out his gun and started shooting at Alex but she just kept running. She made it inside the warehouse before Eric. She saw the man that Miguel killed lying in a pool of blood. She reached over and grabbed his knife and continued running.

  Miguel and Miles entered the room where Jakey was. They could see him lying on the floor shackled. He looked as if he were dead. “Blade to Einstein, do we have eyes yet?”

  “Eyes? The only eyes I have are on your fucking fiancée who I am about to kill.”

  Miguel looked at Miles in horror and whispered, “Alex? He has Alex?”

  “Einstein, what the fuck?”

  “You heard me.” The line went dead.

  Miguel’s heart sank. He knew Eric had been acting strange. But, Alex? He couldn’t be for real, Alex was home. Yes, Alex was home safe and sound. Eric was just trying to throw him off his game. Miguel took a deep breath and he and Miles got over to where Jakey was.

  “Jakey, it’s Blade, can you hear me?”

  “It’s a trap…run.”

  Miguel and Miles continued to free Jakey. Then there was a gunshot. Dane had shot two men who were just about to shoot Miguel and Miles.

  Miguel lifted up Jakey. Miles helped them walk over to where Dane was hiding.

  “It’s a trap…leave me…run.”

  “Jakey, we didn’t come all this way to save you to turn around and leave you to die.”

  Just then a familiar voice spoke. “Well, well, look who finally arrived.”

  Miles looked up first. “Milton, they said…”

  “Yes, I know. They said I was dead. But luckily with a little help from your friend, Eric, I managed to fool everyone, including you.”

  “But why?” Miguel asked.

  “Why? Because I had killed a few more people than necessary and I was about to get caught, so I needed to drop off the grid. Luckily for me, your friend Eric was more than willing to help me out as long as I promised to kill you three before I vanished for good.”

  “Any more questions before I put a bullet through each of your heads?”

  “So you’re the one who orchestrated the attack on my dinner party? To kill us?”

  “Yup, unfortunately, your security team did their job especially this one here. He shot me you know. That’s why I took him captive, so I could torture him. It’s been fun.”

  Dane walked towards Milton. “You’re fucking crazy!” Milton shot Dane. Dane dropped to the floor. Milton walked over and kicked him a few times and then looked at Miguel. “How would you like to be next?”

  “You said questions first.”

  “I did, but this is your last question. You see I have a plane to catch.”

  “What’s the deal with Eric? I thought he was part of our Team?” Miguel was trying to stall until he could come up with some type of plan.

  “Eric was never part of your Team. You treated him poorly. He was just the lowly computer geek. Like Rudolph, the other reindeer never let him join in any games. He was forced to sit on the sidelines with his computer while his marksman skills went to the wayside. You and your Team got all the credit while he was forced to sit back and watch.”

  Miles stood up. “Get back down on the floor. Now!” Miles was about to sit down when all of a sudden there was a loud, blood curdling scream and gunshots.

  Milton looked to his left where the screams came from and Miguel lunged at him with a knife. He stabbed him but Milton hit Miguel in the head with the butt of his gun. Mil
es was already trying to choke him but Milton was bigger than Miles and he was having a hard time taking him down.

  There was another scream and Alex appeared. Miguel heard her and somehow managed to get up from the floor. He pulled the gun from his ankle holster and shot Milton in the head. Miles fell back against the wall.

  Miguel grabbed Alex who was covered in blood. “Don’t touch me.”

  “Alex?”

  “I know what you did, I saw…”

  “Oh are the lover’s having a quarrel?”

  Miguel stood in front of Alex. “Leave her out of this.”

  “It’s too late. She knows too much. She was hiding on the plane and she heard me on the phone and then she saw you on your killing spree. So…she must die too. Pity as she is so pretty. Maybe I will have some fun with her before I kill her. Would you like to watch, Miguel?”

  “Over my dead body will you touch her.”

  “Kinky, but if that’s the way you want it.” Eric lifted up his arm to shoot Miguel and there was a gunshot and Eric dropped to the floor. He was dead. Dane had dragged himself over to his gun.

  Alex started crying and dropped to the floor. Miguel grabbed her and hugged her. She tried to push him away but he wouldn’t allow her to at first. Then Miles came over and pulled Miguel away.

  “She asked you to leave her alone. Give her some space. We need to get out of here anyway.”

  Miguel stood up. He grabbed ahold of Dane and helped him up and then together with Miles they pulled up Jakey. Alex just stood there watching as they picked each other up off the ground and then collected their weapons, like kids picking up their toys after a day of play.

  Miles walked over to Alex. “I can’t even try to fathom what you are feeling right now but we need to leave. Nobody is going to hurt you, I promise. Ok?” Alex didn’t speak, she just nodded and followed Miles as they all headed to the plane.

  Once they boarded the plane, Alex walked into the bedroom and locked the door behind her. She laid down on the bed and cried herself to sleep.

  Miles patched up Dane’s shoulder after he stopped the bleeding. Then he gave Jakey some food and water and he started to look a bit better. Miguel just sat there. He never said a word, he didn’t bother to clean himself up, he just sat there staring into space.